Recovery
by Mandarax
Summary: Sequel to Eyes. Sam’s recovering from her memory loss and broken limbs.


Recovery by Mandarax

Rating: T

Disclaimer – same old, same old.

Summary – sequel to Eyes. Sam's recovering from her memory loss and broken limbs. Sometime in season 4, after Command and Conquer.

Author's note - Written at Samfan9's request and took way too long (RL sucks!)

**

_2 Weeks into Recovery_

Daniel pulled a notebook out of his back pocket. He grabbed a pen from the coffee table and turning to the right page, he flopped down onto the couch next to Sam.

"Okay, so amnesia." He scribbled the word under the 'Sam' column.

"Who's winning?" she peered over his shoulder.

"Nothing so far beats getting really old in a really short time," he said, "but having no memory of your life for a week is up there too." He smiled at her as she lay back into the couch.

Sam shrugged at him. "I think the only way to beat him is to actually die."

"That kind of ruins the game though."

"Yeah, memorial services and cleaning up apartments and all that," she nodded at him.

"You guys really tore up my apartment and I wasn't even dead," he shook his head.

"Sorry," she shrugged again. "There were orders involved."

"I know, I know."

"How did you collect so much crap in one year anyway? You weren't living on Earth…"

It was his turn to shrug.

"So are you okay? Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm good," she replied. "Though I can already hear boredom knocking at the door."

He stood up. "You sure you're okay?"

"Daniel, you're stalling."

"I can't shake the feeling that I'm leaving you to fend for yourself," he said.

"I'm fine!" She chuckled. "It's just a broken arm."

"And a couple of broken ribs, and oh yeah, amnesia!"

"Which I've overcome two weeks ago," she threw a pillow at him. "And anyway you will be back later to check up on me."

"Yeah, well, that's true." He leaned down to kiss her cheek. "I'll see you later."

He closed the door behind him.

**

_3 Weeks into Recovery_

They didn't bother waiting for her to open the door anymore, this had become an evening ritual. Daniel knocked and opened the door, calling her name.

"In here," she answered from the living room. "Did you guys bring food?"

Daniel pushed the pizza box onto the coffee table. Teal'c added a box of doughnuts. Colonel O'Neill carefully placed a six pack of diet soda next to the pizza.

"What?" he asked when the others stared at him, "The Doc threatened me with insubordination charges if I got you alcohol." He lowered himself into the recliner.

"Since when do you listen to Janet, Jack?" Daniel asked, passing a pizza slice to Sam.

"Since she said she might stop by."

Sam smiled. "There's beer in the kitchen, Sir."

"Sweet!" He jumped back up and disappeared into her kitchen.

"So what are we watching tonight, Teal'c?" Daniel asked.

"The Princess Bride," the big man popped the DVD in and turned the TV on.

Sam giggled as Daniel stared at Teal'c.

Teal'c's eyebrow rose slightly. "Dr. Frasier has informed me that this will be a good recuperating film for Major Carter, as well as for education in the ways of the female Ta'uri. Is that not so, Daniel Jackson?"

Daniel blinked.

"Sir," Sam called from her curled up position on the couch, "Can you grab the tissue box from the bathroom please?"

"ASSSS YOUUUUU WISSHHHHHH…."

**

_4 Weeks into recovery_

"So how's the pain?"

"Manageable," Sam said. "Still hurts to laugh. Not that I laugh much these days."

"So Colonel O'Neill hasn't been around lately?" Janet measured blood pressure, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, both about the measuring and the prodding.

"Janet, are you developing a crush on my CO?" Sam raised an eyebrow.

"No, just checking how yours is doing." The small doctor smiled sweetly. "He was really worried about you. He nearly went insane when he realized you didn't recognize him."

"Yeah, Daniel told me," a small smile played at the corner of her lips.

Janet packed her things but remained seated with her friend at the kitchen table. "How are you otherwise?"

"Okay," Sam answered too quickly. "It's weird, not having your memories for a week," she said then. Her fingers played with the placemat on the table. "All I knew was that I was safe, that none of you were going to hurt me. I could see it in your eyes. But that was that. I didn't know who I was or what I was or where I was."

Janet nodded. "Those are some finely tuned basic instincts you followed." The friend in her took a step back as the doctor appeared again. "Physically, you'll be ready to get back to work in two weeks. Mentally – "

"Mentally I'm ready now. I'm going stir crazy."

Janet chuckled and rose from her seat. "I've got to get back to the mountain."

Sam followed her friend to the front door.

"Thanks for the coffee," Janet said as she stepped through. "I'll bring Cassie by in a couple of days, she's been asking about you."

"That'll be great. Bring me a computer with classified materials, too."

Laughing, Janet got in her car and drove away.

**

_5 weeks into recovery_

"SAM! It's starting!"

Sam grabbed the box of eggrolls he'd left behind and made her way to the living room. Daniel made himself comfortable on her couch as she settled into the recliner. She took an eggroll and handed him the box.

"Okay, so what did I miss? Who's sleeping with whom now? Whose evil twin is out to take over the world? Who has amnesia?" He gave her a sideways glance and found her laughing.

Grinning back, he relaxed into the couch even further, an eggroll between his fingers, as the theme for The Young and the Restless picked up on the TV.

"Daniel, if you tell anyone, and I mean anyone, especially him, about this, I'll kick your ass with my two broken ribs and my broken arm all the way to Chulak."

Laughing around his eggroll, Daniel raised both his hands in defense. Chewing, he said, "I'm in the same boat as you are, though it's not my fault you got me hooked on daytime soaps."

Sam sighed, "Not much else to do when you're cooped up for six weeks."

He gave her an apologetic smiled and turned his attention back to the TV.

**

_6 weeks into recovery_

Sam opened the front door and smiled. "Hi, Sir."

She moved aside and let him in. She looked after him for the others but he was alone.

"Carter," he said, "I brought beer!"

She raised an eyebrow as she closed the door behind him. "I'm not actually allowed to have any yet for another few days. Doctor's orders and all that."

"What Frasier doesn't know won't hurt her," he waved the Guinness six pack in front of her. "I won't tell if you don't."

She grabbed a bottle. "Actually, this would be nice."

He grinned at her, eyes twinkling as he made his way to the living area. "So, what'cha been doing? Did you make a naquadah reactor out of pizza boxes?"

She giggled.

"Going crazy yet?"

"Eight different kinds of crazy," she admitted.

"I can imagine." He nodded. "Went to your lab the other day. It was dusty."

She pouted. "I don't know why I can't go back, even for at a limited capacity. I don't need to be in perfect health to run tests and write programs. Janet can keep an eye on me. I won't over do it."

He snorted. "Yeah, right."

She chuckled.

"I think we're all using you as an excuse to get out of the base earlier every day."

"I'll trade places with any of you," she rolled her eyes.

He shrugged.

"Sir," she said and trailed off.

"Yeah?" He prompted.

"I, uh, I wanted to thank you," she said softly.

"What for, Carter?"

"For everything. For being there for me. For helping me through the memory loss. For realizing I didn't recognize you. For giving me a blanket and for calling Janet when I was in pain."

He stared at her for a moment; then his face softened. "Always, Carter. You know that."

She gave him a small smile.

**

Sam sat on the bed in the infirmary, flexing her now cast-free arm, relief written all over her features. Janet had taken the cast off and did her final tests, and was now signing Sam's return to work papers.

When her teammates entered the room, she smiled at them.

"Hi, I'm Colonel Jack O'Neill, this is Doctor Daniel Jackson, and Teal'c. You must be the new SG1 member."

Sam straightened her back. "Yes sir, Major Samantha Carter reporting for duty, sir."

Daniel rolled his eyes at them. "Good to have you back, Sam."

"It is indeed, Major Carter," Teal'c bowed his head.

"It's good to be back," Sam confirmed. "I even missed the smell."

"Well, I hope you also missed the commissary because we're all going to lunch," O'Neill said.

Teal'c and Daniel moved out of the way as Dr. Frasier entered the room. "There you are, Sam. Signed papers – you're free to go. I hope I don't see you here any time soon."

Sam jumped off the bed and handed her CO her release paper. He took it, stared for a moment, crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it in the nearest waste bin.

Janet sighed and turned to Sam. "I already sent General Hammond a copy."

Grinning, Sam followed the guys out of the infirmary. As they entered the elevator on the way to the commissary, O'Neill looked at his watch.

"Carter, I hope you set your VCR to record, I don't think you and Daniel are going to make it home in time to catch today's Bold and the Beautiful."

Staring straight ahead, Sam turned bright red.


End file.
